Cruise Wear

What to wear on your Royal Caribbean cruise seems to be a question we get a lot because no one wants to do the wrong thing. Cruising has changed a lot over the years, but some traditions of dress codes remain to this day.

Before you go on your Royal Caribbean cruise, here is a handy guide to help you understand what cruise clothing you should wear onboard.

Cruise clothing for embarkation day

The first day of your cruise is a bit of an odd day, with guests arriving onboard and getting acclimated to their new home. Moreover, luggage deliveries to staterooms can take a bit of time, so not all guests have access to all of their belongings throughout the day.

Nearly all guests will arrive to their Royal Caribbean ship wearing something comfortable and relaxing. Depending on the weather conditions at the embarkation port, you will find most guests with t-shirts, shorts/jeans, etc.

While Royal Caribbean offers guests the option to check their luggage and have it delivered later to their stateroom, you might consider retaining a day bag that has a change of clothes, swimsuit, work out clothes and anything else you might need between when you board the ship and when your luggage will actually be delivered. This is especially important for kids, because the pools will be open on embarkation day, but swim suits packed away in checked luggage could lead to disappointment.

Cruise clothing during the day

During the morning and afternoon, there is no dress code and your itinerary will largely dictate what you should wear onboard.

Caribbean, Mediterranean and other warm-weather cruises will see a mix of t-shirts, shorts, blouses, bathing suits and whatever else is comfortable. Since much of the activities and things to do onboard your ship are outdoors, a vast majority of guests will be dressed for a pool day, and swim suits and associated clothing are quite prevalent.

Cruises to cold weather destinations will see guests wearing heavier clothing, including jeans, sweaters, lounge wear and more. Depending on the season and destination, layering your clothes is common, where t-shirts are worn underneath sweaters to allow for greater flexibility with the changing temperatures.

If you are planning to visit the fitness center, be sure to bring extra shorts, t-shirts, socks and running shoes/sneakers to work out in.

The reality is, there are no guidelines about what you wear during the day on your Royal Caribbean cruise. Restaurants retain some basic dress guidelines, including a casual dress code in specialty restaurants and the main dining room. Quick service venues, such as the Windjammer, Cafe Promenade and other grab-and-go locations have just basic guidelines when it comes to dress code, such as shoes and a shirt.

Cruise clothing in the evening

During the dinner hours, Royal Caribbean does have a dress code for its main dining room. The dress code is only for the dining room, and outside that venue, there is no special dress code .

When people hear dress codes, it causes a great deal of anxiety about what is and what is not allowed. It is a complicated issue because "appropriate" attire for each dress code will depend on the interpretation of the rules. Royal Caribbean tends to be a bit ambiguous about its dress code rules, especially when it comes to enforcing them. In practice, Royal Caribbean's dress code is more a guideline that can be used as an enforcement tool, but is not frequently administered to all guests.

There are three basic dress codes Royal Caribbean uses. We will list each one, along with what Royal Caribbean lists as suggested dress for each one.

Casual: Sport shirts and slacks for men, sundresses or pants for women. Pants should have no holes, rips or tears.

Smart Casual: Jackets and ties for men, dresses or pantsuits for women.

Formal: Suits and ties or tuxedos for men (black tie is optional), cocktail dresses or pantsuit for women

Swimsuits, robes, bare feet, tank tops, baseball caps and pool wear are not allowed in the main restaurants or specialty restaurants. T-shirts, shorts and flip-flops are acceptable for lunch.

Formal night

Despite the name, formal night is not nearly as fancy as you might think. Formal night is certainly the most dressed up evening attire required on your Royal Caribbean cruise, but it is not as ornate as you might imagine.

Evening wear for formal night will vary, and you will see some guests wearing tuxedoes and gowns. It is our opinion that most guests tend to dress a bit less fancy than that, with men wearing suits or sports coats and women wearing cocktail dresses. Essentially, it is clothing that is a bit nicer than you might wear on other nights of the cruise.

Royal Caribbean does provide a tuxedo rental option, which can save on packing space.

If the idea of formal night really bothers you and you, the good news is you absolutely do not have to get dressed up on your Royal Caribbean cruise. The formal night dress code is only for the main dining room and specialty restaurants, so anywhere else on the ship is fair game for shorts, flip flops and tank tops. The Windjammer and other quick service venues will be open and without any formal wear.

Cruise clothing for kids

Children on a Royal Caribbean cruise will follow similar patterns to adults in terms of what they wear. During the day onboard and onshore, it will be casual for kids, so nothing really important to worry about. Just something they will be comfortable wearing.

In the evening, the dress code for children is the same for adults. There tends to be more leeway in terms of the degree of formality for children's clothing, but at the same time children are expected to be dressed up more than what they would wear during the daytime. The exception would be infants.

For boys, polo shirts and nice pants will suffice for most evenings and girls can wear dresses, skirts and sweaters.

In the days, months (and sometimes years) leading up to your Royal Caribbean cruise, there is going to be a lot of excitement about your vacation and there are some fun ways to prepare and bring a little Royal Caribbean to your home.

Taking a cruise vacation has never been more popular, and when the "cruise bug" bites you, here are some great ways to get in the mood for a cruise that will have a Royal Caribbean touch to it!

Anchors Away Luggage Tag

Royal Caribbean requires you to affix luggage tags to your luggage but you can also add some style to your luggage with these "Anchors Away" luggage tags that look a whole lot like Royal Caribbean's logo.

These 4.5 inch luggage tags are nice and big, so it makes spotting your luggage easier at the airport and in baggage claim.

Plus, it will show everyone that you are a big cruise fan!

The Captain

To get in the mood for your cruise or to maybe understand how a cruise ship works, check out this great read by Royal Caribbean captain Johnny Faevelen, "The Captain".

The book details Captain Johnny's life and how he became a Royal Caribbean cruise captain. It's an intriguing look at what it takes to become the master of one of these amazing cruise ships.

Bonus points if you can sail on a ship Captain Johnny commands these days and get it autographed!

Slim Cruise Line Luggage Tag Holders

Royal Caribbean provides luggage tags that guests can print out and they work well enough but why not protect your luggage tags from being accidently ripped with these Slim Cruise Line Luggage Holders by Shacke.

The concept is simple: print out your luggage tags and then insert them in here and affix them to your luggage. These luggage holders give you piece of mind that the flimsy printer paper you used wont get ripped during the embarkation process (or by your husband when it all gets loaded into the car).

Frogg Toggs Chilly Pad

So you are going to the Caribbean or Mediterranean, Southeast Asia or anywhere else where it can get downright hot and need a way to cool down? You need to check out the Chilly Pad!

All you do is moisten the towel with water, wring out the excess and then drape it around your neck. It really does work at making you feel a heck of a lot cooler and it is perfect for those shore excursions where air conditioning is not an option.

It works instantly and it is a great way to cool down when the sun (and humidity) are really hitting you hard.

Waterproof case for your smartphone

Everyone uses their smart phones as cameras because they really do have a great camera inside, but why worry about getting it wet or full of sand?

The JOTO smartphone case will protect your phone against water, sand, snow, your toddler trying to eat it and more.

Just drop your phone in the case, seal it up and you can use your phone to take photos in the ocean, pool, beach and anywhere else you want.

Do you have something that gets you ready for your cruise? Share in the comments!

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Royal Caribbean Blog is your ultimate source for Royal Caribbean coverage.

Started in 2010, Royal Caribbean Blog offers daily coverage of news and information related to the Royal Caribbean cruise line along with other relevant topics of cruising, such as entertainment, news, photo updates and more.

Our goal has been to provide our readers with expansive coverage of all aspects of the Royal Caribbean experience.

Whether you cruise multiple times per year or you're new to cruising, the goal of Royal Caribbean Blog is for it to be a useful resource for keeping up to date with what's new and exciting with Royal Caribbean.